CasinoHEX Exclusive Interview with Andrzej Hyla: We lead the way on innovation in casino game development

Hi Andrzej! So fun to talk to you and thank you for taking the time to do this interview! We are still quite early in 2022, but what would you say the highlights have been for Wazdan so far?

Hi, thank you so much for having me! Where do I even begin? An awful lot has happened since the turn of the year that would make it onto our highlight reel.

First and foremost, we’ve continued our impressive momentum of global expansion, already entering three new markets this year, including our Canadian entry with Ontario, as well as Michigan the Netherlands. The accreditation of our most recent licence in Ontario marked our 20^th regulated market entry, and is testament to the tireless work we do to ensure our games meet the rigid standards set by the industry’s regulators. 

Furthermore, Wazdan has already been presented with two awards in 2022, taking home the categories of Best Slots Provider in the Baltics 2022 and the Rising Star in Nordic Online Casino Technology 2022 at the Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards. We have also been shortlisted for numerous other awards, including:

• 3x categories at EGR B2B Awards (Mobile Supplier, Employer of the Year, and Innovation in Slot Provision Awards)
• 5x awards at Baltic and Scandinavian Gaming Awards (Best Slots Provider in the Nordics, Best Slots Provider in the Baltics, Best Online Casino Provider in the Baltics, Rising Star in Nordic Online Casino Technology, and Rising Star in Baltic Online Casino Technology)
• 2x categories at CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards (Power of Gods™: Hades – shortlisted in the Game Design and Art Direction category, and Sizzling Bells™ – shortlisted in the Game Retro-Style category)
• 1x category at EGR Nordics (Casino Content Supplier category)
• 3x categories at EGR North America awards (Casino Content Supplier, Best New Game for Power of Gods™: Hades, and Best Product Innovation), and
• 5x categories at Malta’s iGaming Excellence Awards (Malta’s Best Gaming Company of the Year, Best Online Casino Product of the Year, and Best Online Gaming Product of the Year, Most innovative Product Company of the Year, Malta’s Best Employer Brand of the Year)
• 1x category at SBC North America Awads (Rising Star in Casino)

I’ve been recently shortlisted for the iGaming IDOL Awards. I have to admit, it is a huge surprise but also it makes me feel like a winner already! Great feeling to be in a group of such great individuals who were also nominated to be Manager Idol of the Year.

Do you have any plans for the rest of the year and if so, what are they?

We remain committed to our mission for constant innovation and bringing exquisite experiences to the market.

So far in 2022, we have released seven new titles, including a number of new additions to our Hold the Jackpot™ portfolio: Sizzling Moon™, Dwarfs Fortune™, and Magic Spins™ – the latter of which features our cutting-edge Collect to Infinity™ feature.

Players in the markets that we have traditionally served have a lot to look forward to over the next six months. We have consistently delivered new and innovative titles to the market at a rate of at least once a month for a considerable amount of time now, and our fans have become accustomed to this roadmap, so they can expect a number of exciting slot titles to be churned out in the coming months.

More specifically, our highlights for the months ahead will include the launch 9 Coins™, which will be added to the Hold the Jackpot™ portfolio and utilise our brand-new Cash Infinity™ feature, as well as Power of Gods™: Valhalla and Sizzling Kingdom™: Bison.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the special features you offer, including the Hold the Jackpot™ feature?

With an abundance of fascinating mechanics and tools consistently emerging in the iGaming space, standing out from the crowd is not just recommended – it is essential. That said, our renowned Hold the Jackpot™ collection has been taking the industry by storm since its inception, delivering a unique version of the mechanic in each title that uses it, while also utilising the special customisation tools that are unique to Wazdan’s offering.

One of these unique tools is Volatility Levels™, a trademarked Wazdan feature that stands in line with the brand’s Freedom of Choice™ initiative, which allows players to bring further levels of customisation to their gaming experiences by selecting their win size and frequency, whenever they desire.

These special features are implemented across the entire Hold the Jackpot™ collection, including established titles like Power of Gods™: Hades, Fortune Reels, and Sun of Fortune. And to make things even more exciting, each new title added to the collection utilises its own take on the Hold the Jackpot™ mechanic to provide a distinctive gaming experience.

From crossing the River Styx to reach the realm of Hades to getting lost in an enchanted forest filled with fantasy creatures, the Hold the Jackpot™ collection delivers a real variety of themes and layouts for every type of player, which is why it has been so well received by audiences around the world.

How has the journey at Wazdan been for you since the start 12 years ago?

I am proud to say that I’ve been part of the journey with Wazdan from day one and have helped to build it into the top-tier global igaming supplier that it is now widely recognised as. By nurturing a workforce with an underlying enthusiasm for slot content and delivering immersive gaming experiences, we have been able to improve and enhance our offering, while elevating the offerings of our partners with top-performing products and customisable tools.

Thanks to the consistent hard work of our team, players in over 20 regulated markets across the globe can enjoy our games, and it has been a pleasure to watch both Wazdan and the iGaming sector evolve over the past decade.

What can you tell us about your newest game Sizzling Eggs™?

Sizzling Eggs™ is our latest title and it might be one of the most exhilarating yet, providing a wonderfully designed, feature-filled experience to anyone who plays it. The game’s smouldering reels are filled with fruit symbols and mysterious eggs holding a range of values, as well as sizzling Collector symbols appearing only on the top row of the reels.

The thrilling Free Spins feature offers Collector modifier symbols, which conceal Multipliers and Countdown Boosters, as well as the ground-breaking Collect to Infinity™ feature, which allows players to boost the Collector symbol powers and increase their total win up to an infinite number.

Thanks to the astonishing Collect to Infinity™ feature, players can use the Collector symbol’s superpower throughout the entire Free Spins round, and when it ends, players collect their betline wins and the values of Collector symbols, allowing them to win incredible prizes worth up to 2500x their bet

Not the first eye-catching slot to be added to the collection, Sizzling Eggs™ sets itself apart from other titles in the series with its unique symbols and multipliers, as well as the fiery volcanic environment that it’s played out in.

At CasinoHEX we want all game developers to have their voices heard, so we would like to know what you want our readers to know about Wazdan and your games?

For over a decade now, Wazdan has been committed to delivering excellence in terms of cutting-edge experiences for players around the world, authentic passion for gaming, and reliability.

By putting our fans at the centre of everything we do, from ideation all the way through to the development of new features and themes, we are able to remain focused and motivated in delivering exceptional products that players return to, time and time again. With an ambitious workforce united by a passion for games, Wazdan is a truly exciting place to work, and we can not wait to reveal some teasers about the products that are currently working on.

Interview originally published on CasinoHex.se